That’s a pretty scary thought, considering what Turay’s put together so far. He’s second in the NY-Penn League in hitting (.350), fourth in slugging percentage (.538) and sixth in on-base percentage (.409). And if you think numbers are what make the 19-year-old center fielder so impressive, you must have never seen him play.

In particular, you must have never seen him hit.

When he swings the bat, Turay unleashes the lumber with a speed and sheer ferocity that calls to mind a young Gary Sheffield. Then when he connects, the ball doesn’t so much leap off his bat as it does erupt.

The best way to describe Turay? Watching him hit, you get the sense that something special is about to happen. He’s the most exhilarating attraction in Brooklyn this side of the parachute jump.

“I just look for a fastball and if it’s near the strike zone, I’ll try to swing at it,” Turay says. “Just swing hard, hit it hard. Wherever it goes, that’s where it goes.”

And so it goes for “Haj,” who has always had explosive talent. He was a member of the USA Youth National Team in 1998, he tore up the CABA World Series with a ridiculous – ridiculous – .743 batting average and he was an All-American at Auburn HS in Washington. Little wonder the Mets snapped up the muscular 6-0, 205-pounder in the second round in 2001.

As with any raw player, of course, Turay still has plenty to work on. In particular, he can look overmatched on breaking pitches and needs to improve his arm accuracy. Still, everyone sees that he’s special.

“You can see the natural ability,” says Met farm director Kevin Morgan. “He just really needs to play games.”

Nothing better illustrates Turay’s potential than a recent game against Staten Island. He ripped a single and a double in his first two at-bats, then looked shaky flying out and fanning his next two times at the plate. Finally Turay came up in the ninth with the game tied and two runners on. Making a mental note to keep his hands extended, he cracked an opposite-field game-winning double off the wall.